St Johnstone 2 - 1 Dundee Utd: Saints save best form for cup as United self-destruct

Published on Tuesday 27 October 2009 22:58

THE Co-Operative Insurance Cup is proving a welcome diversion for St Johnstone. While they have struggled to convert out-field dominance into points in their early SPL encounters, there has been less trouble finding the goals in this competition.

Three years after their last semi-final outing in this tournament, they sealed another last-four appearance with a 2-0 win over Dundee United at McDiarmid Park last night. Two second-half goals – both own goals, from Sean Dillon and Darren Dods – sealed the victory for the home side despite a goal from Prince Buaben leading to a tense conclusion as United battered Graeme Smith's area in an attempt to salvage a shot at extra-time.

Neither side has been a stranger to semi-finals of the major domestic trophies in recent years but it was St Johnstone who seemed buoyed by an additional incentive. In a match that summed up much of their life in the Scottish top tier this season, they dominated large sections of their recent league encounter with Craig Levein's men but ultimately failed to collect their deserved dues, losing that match 3-2. It was a disparity in fortunes that the home side hoped to redress last night.

For the opening period of the match, though, it was more of the same. St Johnstone took the play to their visitors and surged upfield with intent and some invention but it was the cutting edge that was again a frustrating absentee.

Both managers had reshuffled their starting line-ups since the weekend, with Levein pleased to have stand-in captain Andy Webster recovered from the flu bug and, with both Collin Samuel and Jody Morris dropping out with injury and illness respectively, St Johnstone manager Derek McInnes found a place for new signing Jonatan Johansson, who had signed just hours earlier. He lined up alongside Kenny Deuchar and both front men could have opened the scoring. In the fourth minute it was Deuchar who should have done better when Liam Craig fired in a beautifully flighted ball from the left wing but he could not direct his header on target from close in.

Dundee United had survived gilt-edged opportunities on Saturday only to come back and leave Aberdeen cursing their slap dash finishing so there was no panic in their ranks, although they would have been more down-hearted had Johansson shown more composure with his driven shot at goal midway through the half, the effort rising from the moment it left his boot and soaring over the bar.

This was St Johnstone's first home game of a Co-operative Insurance run in which they had delivered 14 goals while conceding just one but in United they found a side less willing to yield.

Although Levein's men had struggled with the height and physical presence of the St Johnstone strikeforce and misjudged several bouncing balls their inability to convert their decent possession into an advantageous scoreline allowed the slow-starting United to settle in and with 21 minutes gone, they engineered their first real foray.

The ball was played in for Danny Cadamarteri and although five home players swarmed over him he still managed to unleash a shot, albeit off target. It had given the Tannadice side a taste for it, though. But while Danny Swanson and David Goodwillie had efforts, Craig once again provided the kind of quality cross which should have left United well warned. Murray Davidson couldn't convert it though and the match started pleading for some kind of breakthrough.

Levein made a switch at half-time sending on Dods, who had initially been dropped in favour of Andy Webster, the on-loan Rangers player failing to re-emerge for the second 45 minutes. But it was a defence which could not keep Saints out. With the match looking increasingly destined for extra time, it was Anderson who helped find the net via Dillon in the 72nd minute. It was another wonderful delivery from Craig, and 23-year-old Anderson bulleted his header into the net.

The former Falkirk midfielder who justifiably finished man of the match, could also stake a claim to the second goal four minutes later, his free-kick from deep deflecting into Banks goal off Dods. United tried to fightback, Buaben's header looping under the bar in the 82nd minute, but they couldn't find the leveller.

St Johnstone: Smith, MacKay, Rutkiewicz (Anderson 62), Gartland, Grainger, Millar, Davidson, Sheerin (Morais 67), Craig, Johansson (Moon 87), Deuchar. Subs not used: Main, MacDonald.

Dundee United: Banks, Kovacevic, Kenneth, Webster (Dods 46), Dillon, Swanson (Conway 78), Buaben, Gomis, Fotheringham (Casalinuovo 76), Cadamarteri, Goodwillie. Subs Not Used: Weaver, Cameron.